Tennessee Prison Rejects Book Donations Because ‘Malcolm X Not Allowed’
Vice, January 7, 2022: Tennessee Prison Rejects Book Donations Because ‘Malcolm X Not Allowed’
“It’s long been known that prisons and jails ban books officials believe to be dangerous or inappropriate for incarcerated people. But a written rejection notice posted to Twitter shows a rare glimpse at how prison staff often enforce these restrictions to block political literature that they find objectionable.
“A recent tweet shows a stack of returned books sent by the Seattle non-profit Books to Prisoners, which donates books to incarcerated populations across the US. The rejected books, which were sent to the South Central Correctional Center in Clifton, Tennessee, included a slip of paper with a note reading ‘Malcolm X not allowed.’”
Additional reading:
The Crime Report, January 13, 2022: Why Are Prisons Banning Books by Black Authors?
The Real News Network, January 4, 2022: Why US Prisons Don’t Want Prisoners to Read
July 1, 2020 Report: Systemic Oppression and the Contested Ground of Information Access for Incarcerated People
Amsterdam News, December 30, 2021: Exoneration grants Khalil Islam’s family some sense of grace
